Gertrude Stein was putting the finishing touches on her New Year’s Eve party.
It was not going to be a large party. She told Alice, “Just a few, a few to the table, just a small table.” Then she replaced the commas with periods.
“I don’t know how the boys are going to proceed,” Gertrude thought while arranging the place cards on the dining table. The Rhino Ritz Detective Agency had driven through the wall of the sporting goods store in Longmont Colorado upon Ernest Hemingway’s instructions. Using his binoculars Ernest had spotted a fishing spear in the window and taken a shine to it. Besides, he had previously lost his last fishing spear trying to chase down a set of Philip Roth. Gertrude still didn’t understand Ernest’s motivation on that one. And what had Hemingway been doing in the Salvation Army Store in the first place?
Gertrude thought about the matter. “Keith Abbott’s manuscripts have disappeared. That could mean that they were good. Or not. But that someone would deliberately steal boxes of manuscripts because they were bad is not logical,” she reflected.
Pausing to look out the window over her view of San Francisco blanketed with a layer of fog, “I think someone has secreted them away. But for what purpose?”
The Rhino Ritz Detective Agency was going to have to change tactics. No more driving through walls. They would have to go underground and get a hold of a few informants. “Come to think of it,” Gertrude started suddenly, “maybe Scottie is already on the job.”
Yes, it was true. Fitzgerald was already in Longmont, busy tapping sources.
“Do you really want to go, honey?” Julie said. This was the third time she asked Blessing about Mila’s New Year’s Eve party.
“Julie,” Roy said, “stop asking her. She told you yes and she’s old enough to go to a New Year’s Eve party on her own.”
“But this is the first time she won’t be with us,” Julie frowned.
Blessing rolled her eyes and went back to her room, leaving her mom and Roy to figure things out between them. As far as Blessing was concerned she was going to the party. It was Mila’s birthday party and the whole family would be celebrating. Mila never liked having her party on the first of the year because everyone was tired and served reheated leftovers. Ever since she was ten years old Mila insisted on holding the celebration on New Year’s Eve. This way, everyone had more fun.
Julie came into the garage. “Are there going to be boys at the party?” she asked Blessing.
“Mom, I told you. It’s at Mila’s house and Mila’s whole family is there.” Blessing said. “Aunt Carmen is picking me up. You can talk to her when she comes.”
“You better believe I will talk to Carmen,” Julie said, looking around. “What are you going to wear?’
“Mila said just causal nice, like jeans and a blouse.”
“Show me.”
Blessing went to the wardrobe standing along the side wall and pulled out a blouse.
“What’s that?” Julie pointed to the wall next to the wardrobe.
“It’s always been here,” Blessing said.
“No, it hasn’t.” Julie said, looking at the drawing of a baseball player swinging a funny looking bat.
Blessing looked at the baseball player. Her mom was right. It hadn’t always been there. Blessing didn’t know how it appeared on the wall.
“I don’t know,” Blessing said. ‘It just appeared.”
“It just appeared?”
“Yeah,”
“Who drew it?” Julie asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Did you invite someone over that I don’t know about?” Julie asked.
“No!”
“What about that Nolan?”
“Mom! No!” Nolan was the son of the owner of Longmont Florist and Blessing had a crush on him.
“Blessing, explain this to me.”
Blessing thought about the matter. She couldn’t explain it. “What about Taylor?”
“Taylor couldn’t draw that.”
“I know. Maybe Roy?”
Julie scoffed. “Blessing,” she said with a "don't mess with me” tone in her voice.
“There’s more.”
“More?” Julie stared at her daughter.
“Yeah, behind the screen.”
Julie looked behind the screen. “Holy crap….who drew these?”
Blessing shrugged.
Keith Abbott needed a break from his buddies. He decided to meet up with some other pals. It was always nice to hang out with Mike and John, but sometimes Keith needed to play cards.
He’d gone to the library first thing in the morning and noted when Candace came in to return three books, two on cooking and one on Sybil Leek. Just to be sure that Candace wouldn’t notice him, Keith slid out the wall and headed to the Civic Council on Kimbark Street. He was sitting zazen on December thirty-first when the meeting started. It didn’t sound like an official meeting about zoning. It sounded like a deal was going down.
By the time the meeting ended, Keith realized that he’d have to get word out that he was coming to play cards. He couldn’t just show up plus he’d need some cash. Keith headed to the phone both on Main Street that was connected to the spirit world. He put a call through and recognized the voice. Nabs thought it was fine that Keith wanted to play cards. There happened to be a game before the New Year’s Eve’s festivities got going. Nabs knew that Keith needed to know there was no minimum and gave Keith the address.
Halfway through his pin money, Keith brought out what was on his mind.
“You need help?” the dealer asked.
“Naw, just advice,” Keith said.
“What you need to do is take advantage of the distraction.”
Keith nodded.
“If those goons are destroying brick walls, you put out word. They’re crazy and will do anything.”
Keith nodded. He peaked at his cards.
“Then you create a safe passage.”
Keith nodded.
“Like a short opportunity,” someone else said.
Keith nodded.
“And if it bothers you, tell your daughter to put in more Chevy truck into the story. What’s wrong with a Chevy truck? It’s a beautiful thing.”
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